One of the most common misunderstandings about acupuncture is that you must put a needle where the problem is in order to make it go away. Because of this many folks assume that we are not able to treat back pain in our cozy recliner chairs. Part of this misunderstanding comes from our natural inclination that if it hurts there then that is where you should poke it! This inclination is further supported by people who are not trained in traditional acupuncture but use it on folks – like physiotherapists for example. These folks use a type of acupuncture that is based on current thinking of anatomy, physiology, nerves, and muscles. The theory goes that if a muscle is in spasm I just need to poke at it to get it to stop being in spasm. This method works in some cases, but also sometimes aggravates the situation.
The thing about acupuncture is that it is unlike any other modality. People for thousands of years have worked with it, discovering places and pathways along the body that influence or prompt the body toward certain responses. These pathways and points treat areas of the body, sometimes quite far from the originating problem. For example there is a pathway (also known as a meridian) that runs the entire length of your spine. This pathway terminates at the end of your baby toe. One of the points near that tiny toe is often used to treat your back pain – that and several in a similar area along your pinkie finger and hand. These points are so commonly effective that we end up using them a lot for treating many different types of back pain – something we see in the clinic a lot.
When I first started treating people with this method I was skeptical myself, I was sure I would not be able to treat back pain without putting a needle into someone’s back. Fortunately I got to practice a lot and what I noticed changed my mind. Using this method of what we call distal point acupuncture, I sometimes saw people’s back pain go from a 10 to a 0 in less than an hour. These points have the combined effect of relaxing the muscles, promoting circulation and healing, and easing pain – the three things you need for healing of these parts of your body. One miraculous treatment doesn’t necessarily mean you’re cured for life. Healing takes time. That said, having less pain and greater mobility is something I’ll take any day, even if I might need to come back for another visit.